Passenger train services between China and North Korea are set to resume on Thursday, restoring a key transport link that had been suspended for six years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
China’s state rail operator, China Railway, announced that trains between Beijing and Pyongyang will run four times a week, while a daily service will operate between the Chinese border city of Dandong and the North Korean capital.
In a notice issued late Tuesday, China Railway described the train services as “a moving link that strengthens the friendship between China and North Korea.”
The resumption of rail travel reflects North Korea’s gradual reopening after the pandemic. While China fully reopened its borders earlier, Pyongyang has moved more cautiously, allowing limited numbers of tourists to enter the country beginning in 2024.
According to China Railway, international travellers will be permitted on certain carriages on the Beijing–Pyongyang route. However, travel agents say tickets are not yet widely available to business travellers or tourists. One agent told the BBC that only individuals holding valid visas can currently purchase tickets.
Visa holders include Chinese citizens who live, work or study in North Korea, as well as North Koreans working or studying abroad or travelling to visit family members, according to AFP.
Demand for the service appears strong. Reuters reported that tickets for the first train departing Thursday have already sold out, citing an official ticketing office in Beijing. Those who secured seats reportedly include entrepreneurs, government officials and journalists.
Speaking on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said maintaining regular passenger train services between the two countries “is of great significance” for promoting people-to-people exchanges.
The announcement comes amid renewed diplomatic messaging between the two nations. Earlier this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wrote to Chinese President Xi Jinping expressing confidence that cooperation between the two countries would deepen as they pursue what he described as a shared socialist path.
Kim’s message followed a congratulatory note sent by Xi last month after Kim was reappointed leader of his ruling party.
Before North Korea sealed its borders at the start of the pandemic in early 2020, Chinese visitors accounted for a large proportion of foreign tourists to the country. Since reopening partially in 2024, Pyongyang has sought to revive tourism, including launching projects such as a new seaside resort, though some initiatives have faced interruptions.
The resumption of passenger rail services is expected to gradually revive travel and economic exchanges between the neighbouring countries after years of pandemic-era isolation.
Melissa Enoch
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